ONSITE PROJECT Face to Face: African Portraiture

by UnseenAugust 17 2016

This year Unseen is proud to present three interactive onsite projects! We invite you to immerse yourself in photography in unexpected and exciting ways. The first project we would like to highlight is Face to Face: African Portraiture.

Studio portraits are a long-standing tradition within African photographic history. Ever since it was introduced on the continent, artists have found innovative ways to create pop-up studios in their homes to document their local people. Now artists throughout the continent are exploring new approaches to portraiture; incorporating their heritage yet looking at novel ways to photograph their subjects.

Unseen hopes to emphasise this fascinating mix of modern and classic practices that are currently incorporated within African portraiture. During Face to Face leading artists from African countries are invited to create diverse pop-up studios to document visitors of Unseen. The photographs will be printed onsite for you to take directly home!

A digital pop-up exhibition will show the works of participating artists giving visitors insight into artists' creative processes. Both the pop-up studio and the exhibition will be co-curated by Unseen and Anna Alix Koffi (founder OFF the Wall). With this event Unseen aims to introduce visitors to the rich history of African portraiture, whilst especially showcasing the exciting new approaches currently taking place.

Make sure to be on time to sign up for Face to Face: African Portraiture at Unseen Photo Fair and have your portrait taken by one of the following artists: Zanele Muholi, Delphine Diallo, Atong Atem, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Lebohang Kganye, Laila Hida or Louis Philippe de Gagoue.